The present invention relates to a device primarily intended for protecting of watercraft from physical damage when coming into contact with static structure such as docks and the like, and for protecting the watercraft from damage or scraping. The device of the present invention is also intended to be foldable in such a manner that it will allow the device to serve secondarily as a seat cushion when folded, or, as a buoyancy support system when placed in the water.
Presently, the devices available for protecting watercraft from damage from other static structures such as docks and the like, generally consist of boat fenders which are cylindrical in configuration, and formed of a resillient material such as rubber, and having the interior chamber of the device air filled. Most people are well familiar with the typical boat bumper which is placed over the outside of the watercraft and intended to be positioned between the watercraft and the boat dock or other static structure. It is also well known that boat bumpers or fenders of the type described are generally bulky in size and configuration, and therefore, difficult to either handle or store. Indeed, various forms of fender or bumper racks have been developed for mounting on the sides of boats in order to accommodate the boat bumpers when not in use. Furthermore, the typical boat bumpers serve no other purpose due to their size and bulky configuration, and are therefore a single purpose boating accessory.
The prior art does disclose a variety of types of marine fenders which have been developed all for the similar purpose of protecting the watercraft from damage or scraping from other static structures or other watercraft.
Typical types of prior art boat fenders or bumpers are shown in various prior art patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,546,396 shows a combination boat fender and life raft, wherein the device when employed as a boat bumper is shown to be in a substantially cylindrical configuration, and includes a plurality of rope loops which are threaded through appropriate grommet apertures which affords the user the opportunity of either tying the fender to the watercraft, or tying a plurality of the subject boat bumpers together. It is note-worthy that the boat fender as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,546,396 has a single purpose application, in that it can only be employed as a boat bumper and also, will only protect one small segment or portion of the watercraft from the structure from which the watercraft is being protected, and possibly includes an area protection of perhaps between ten and twelve inches in maximum width. It is clear that the device can serve no other purpose, although the patentee clearly indicates that a plurality of these types of fenders may be tied together in order to create a raft. However, a single boat fender in and of itself has only a single purpose application, and is basically of the type which is cylindrical in configuration.
Another prior art device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,547 which is directed to a combination boat fender and life preserver. The device as depicted therein in its typical form is shown to assume the typical cylindrical configuration of a boat fender, and is intended to be hung over the side of the watercraft for protection purposes in the manner presently typically known in the prior art. It is noted that the device includes two halves, which are normally biasingly urged together by means of a pair of springs. When used as a life preserver, the two halves are separated against the preasure of the springs, and the user would then slip the device over the head and under the arms after which the springs would normally biasingly urge the two halves together thereby to securely hold the device on the user's body. When the user has completed utilizing the device, and removes the same, the two springs biasingly urge the two halves back together thereby forming the typical cylindrically oriented boat bumper.
A more recent patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,850 which shows a typical marine fender, the difference being that the device as depicted in the -850 patent has an improved construction. The boat fender as depicted therein is constructed of two halves which are intended to contain within the confines thereof a solid foam bun after which the two halves are mated and molded together. The relevance of the patent is to the affect that it again demonstrates the typical prior art marine fender which assumes a cylindrical configuration and has a single purpose usage or application, that being strictly as a marine bumper or fender.
The prior art has attempted to make other various types of marine fenders, as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 2,577,236. The marine fender depicted therein assumes a basically flat configuration, except that the resillient pads are basically cylindrical in shape, and solid in form, and arranged parallel one to the next. Each is covered under a sheeting of heaving canvas or some other strong pliable faberic thereby to function as a marine fender. As indicated in the patent, the subject fender may be rolled into a cylindrical configuration as depicted in FIG. 4 of the patents, and tied in position such that it may be used as a typical cylindrical marine bumper. It is apparent from a review of the device as depicted in the subject patent, that the marine fender disclosed therein still assumes only a single purpose usage since whether it is employed in its flat configuration as per FIG. 1 of the drawings, or in its rolled configuration as depicted in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the subject device still can only be utilized as a boat fender or bumper. Another problem to be noted is the fact that the cushioning members are cylindrical in shape, and as such, do not lend themselves to any easy folding pattern. Indeed, the patentee fails to indicate that the device may be folded in any respect, and only indicates that the device may be rolled into a cylindrical configuration as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings.
Other attempts of providing flat type cushioned devices are depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,473. The device as depicted therein is directed to a mattress which is suitable for use as a floating device in water. The device is constructed from a plurality of lightweight relatively rigid and buoyant blocks of substantial equal length which are positioned in parallel side by side orientation. The blocks are formed from a cellular polystyrene material, thereby to be buoyant in water. However, the device as depicted therein may only be folded into a rolled configuration, and therefore it does not permit its use as an alternate type device nor does it lend itself to easy storage.
The present invention is intended to overcome the disadvantages noted with respect to the prior art devices, and to provide a boat bumper or fender device which has alternate uses due to the nature in which the subject device is constructed.